The Watch – Part 203:

(Tom’s perspective)

I should have known from the very beginning that I was in some random parallel universe, but I thought it was all an illusion. I’m standing in a city, a busy city with traffic and crowds of people all going about their business, acting as if nothing’s out of the ordinary, because it isn’t. If I was anywhere but here, then maybe I would have figured it out, but everything is so normal. Of course it would be, though. Why wouldn’t it be? Everything in this city is perfectly normal, not a single thing is out of place. That’s why I was fooled into believing that I was home.

So what do I do now? It feels so strange knowing that I’m standing in another universe. Even more so now with the knowledge that there is no way of getting back home without Sebastian’s help. I have to stay here for an unknown, possibly indefinite amount of time, before Sebastian comes and get me, and that could literally be any time. Starting from now, until whenever, Sebastian could appear in front of me any second. Until then, what the heck do I do? I have no money, no phone, no anything. I couldn’t be more separated from everybody.

The feeling of loneliness starts to kick in for the first time. The fact that everyone that I know: My mum and dad, nana and granddad, grandma and granddad, uncle and aunt, cousins, Sebastian, Amy, Alex; everyone that I know, now standing in another universe. Only Sebastian and Amy know that I’m somewhere other than home, but they have no idea where exactly I am, and that makes the feeling of loneliness that much stronger.

Amy! I’m not the only person in some universe. I’m struggling to properly comprehend everything, I really am. Amy is in the same position as I am right now. In some parallel universe, lost, lonely. The chances of landing in your home universe is less than infinitesimally small, I can only imagine. I really hope that Sebastian can find us. I know that he said that he can do anything, and I know that he believes that, and I know that I believe he can do anything, but, just maybe, there are some limitations. I mean, he can jump to any universe he so wishes, but finding the one with me in, that’s like finding a needle in a hay stack, except that analogy doesn’t sound right because even the biggest of needles in the smallest of hay stacks is just too small to find when compared to parallel universes.

I never thought that I would be in this position. I never thought I understood so much. I, along with Sebastian, had a fascination with science and stuff, but I was always the one that left the house on a regular basis. I decided to put down the book, turn off the TV, switch of the computer, and/or put down the game controller and go outside just for a casual walk around the block. It was Sebastian who stayed indoors and studied the heck out of everything he could. Not because he chose to, but because he just couldn’t bring himself to go outside. He was too nervous all the time, and even though he wanted to try and push himself to do more, he always found himself locked indoors. Now, standing in some random parallel universe, with nothing and no one, I’m beginning to feel as if Sebastian unintentionally had the right idea. Maybe I should have locked myself indoors more often. Sebastian always wanted to be more like me, but maybe I should have been more like him? I’m so lost.

Sure, I can be proud of being confident, because it isn’t a thing that comes easily. I did have to work hard to push myself. It was only when I found myself in situations that I had pushed myself into that they weren’t as scary as I imagined them to be. We all start off without any confidence in the beginning. But now I am scared. I can feel my confidence slowly slipping away.

Maybe I can treat it as… but it isn’t like that at all. When you go to a different country, you at least know that you are on the same world. It’s hard to describe it, but even though you are from your family and friends, you just know that you are safe, because… well, you just know that you are. But this is different. I’m not in a different country, I’m in a different universe. I don’t get that feeling of just knowing. I haven’t got that feeling at all. And that scares the heck out of me. I’ve never been more scared. I’m in such a strange situation, that my brain just cannot process it all properly; I don’t think I am as scared as I should be. Is that a good thing? How should I know?

So what do I do now? What does anyone do when the find themselves standing in a parallel universe with absolutely nothing? I have no idea, because everyone that I know hasn’t been in this situation before, and even if they were, I cannot talk to them because they are so far away.

All of this incomprehension is draining my energy. I’m just standing here, staring at the city, watching life rush past me, yet I’ve used up more energy than ever before. I need a coffee. Oh, right, I can’t because I have no money. Well, I can’t stand here all day. I have to do something. Anything. I don’t think it matters what I do. Maybe I should just go for a walk. I don’t know how much help it will be, but at least it’s something. Where do I walk to? What’s here? I don’t think that matters either. I can’t get any more lost than I already am. And it’s not as if I have a destination in mind, anyway. I guess I’ll just walk off in this direction and, well, hope for the best.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)